Nissan salutes the extension to the £5000 Plug-in Car Grant

The UK government has decided to extend the Plug-in Car Grant to motorists purchasing a new electric vehicle – a move that Nissan is pleased about. Buyers of vans get a 20% discount. As much as £8000 is cut from the price of an electric van. The announcement arrives at a time when Nissan is testing prototype zero-emission all-electric delivery vehicle in London.

For a two-month stretch, FedEx Express and Nissan are working together to assess how the NV200 electric vehicle (EV) prototype copes with the everyday stresses in the capital. According to James Wright, Managing Director at Nissan Motor (GB) Limited, the Government is demonstrating how committed it is to improving air quality in cities and limiting carbon emissions.

This grant, together with reduced running costs and tax benefits, would make businesses consider switching to an electric van. The Nissan LEAF, the first mass produced 100% electric vehicle in the world, has been on sale since March 2011.

It qualifies for the £5000 grant for electric cars. The Leaf will start production at Nissan’s Sunderland plant in 2013, with an initial capacity of 50,000 vehicles. In addition, this plant will begin producing batteries for the LEAF in early 2012. Nissan is investing £420 million for the battery and LEAF projects. With this move, around 2,250 jobs at Nissan and throughout the UK supply chain will be maintained.

Nissan LEAF has a front design that is characterized by the upright and sharp V-design. This design has long slanting LED headlights coupled with a blue reflective design that helps convey how special the car is. Its headlights also split and redirect the airflow so that air doesn't pass through the door mirror, helping reduce drag and noise. Furthermore, these lights also consume a mere 10% of the electricity that conventional lights use. Saving on electricity helps the LEAF have the best range autonomy in its class.

A stylish and eye-catching cabin makes the LEAF appealing with its bright trim colors. You can see the "blue earth" environmentally friendly color scheme that you also see on the original LEAF's Aqua Globe body color. The dashboard of the new LEAF has blue highlights and instrument lights.

Connected

Nissan LEAF has an advanced IT system that you cannot find anywhere else. The system is connected to a data center that is available worldwide, so that it can provide information, entertainment and support for every driver 24/7.

It comes with a monitor mounted on the dash, and this monitor shows you the car's remaining charge and reachable area, as well as the charging stations nearby.

Further, you can use your mobile phones to turn the airconditioning on or schedule your charging. You can also make use of a remote controlled timer that you can pre-program to charge the batteries.